Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. I love the extra chance to literally count my blessings! I'm also grateful for the chance to teach my kids about gratitude. I think it is such an important trait for them, and all of us, to develop. Being grateful helps us realize the blessings that we do have, and that we truly are blessed. It also helps us recognize the wonderful things that other people do for us. The words "Thank You" make me smile!

I try to teach my boys gratitude all throughout the year. Especially at Thanksgiving, we try to practice being grateful. Here is a list of simple activities to help families realize what they have to be thankful for.

1. A-Z Blessings

It's the alphabet game. Write something for every letter of the alphabet, all the way from A-Z, that you are thankful for.

2. Gratitude Conversation Starter Questions

Write questions on a piece of paper. A leaf or turkey cut out would be cute. Set them somewhere in your tablescape. You could tuck them in with the napkins at each place setting or under each plate. Take turns answering the questions during Thanksgiving Dinner. Questions could include things like: What event during this past year are you most thankful for? Who has most influenced your life for good this year? Why? If you could give any one thing to someone you love what would it be? Why? What part of school are you most thankful for? Questions can be adjusted for different ages.

3. Gratitude Pictionary or Charades

Each person takes turns drawing or acting out what they are most thankful for.

4. Make Believe

Pretend that you are stranded on an island and knew you could never get off. What three things would you take with you? Typically these things are usually the most dear to us.

5. Gratitude Hand Turkey

Have little kids draw a turkey using a hand as the outline. Write one thing the kids are thankful for on each feather.

6. Gratitude Turkey

Have the kids draw a tree, or cut a small branch from a tree in your yard. Cut leaves out of paper and write what you are grateful for on them and fill the tree with leaves.

7. Thank You Notes

We go through thank you notes at our house by the dozens. It is an easy way for kids to express gratitude to others for their many kindnesses. People are always doing nice things for us, so we are always writing thank you's. Children can write to Moms or Dads. Moms and Dads can write to children. Neighbors love knowing they are appreciated. The mailman likes to be appreciated and so does the bus driver. School teachers need to be thanked more often than just on teacher appreciation day. Even you waitress would love to get a thank you note. Be creative! I bet you have lots of people you could thank too!

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Before I start telling you about my date nights, I better give you a little peek in to the window of my life. I'm a farm girl who's madly in love with her farmer husband and three wanna-be farmer sons. Living on a farm gives me lots of opportunities that I couldn't get anywhere else. I get to drive tractors, feed baby calves, drive a manure truck, process payroll, make lunch for the vet, pre-wash laundry with a hose and any other job that nobody else has time for. On this little dairy of ours, we milk about a thousand cows. That means we spend most of our time stuck here, taking care of the daily operations on the farm. It's not uncommon for my farmer hubby to be stuck on the farm for weeks at a time, and he doesn't mind! Once in a while I mind!

Sometimes I beg Justin to take me on a date night. He is so busy I find it hard to get on his schedule. Every once in a while he will come in the house and ask me if I want to have a date night. Of course I do! Although, I have quickly learned that if he is asking me on a date, there is a catch! Last night he asked me to go to dinner ... and there was a catch!

He needed to deliver some bulls to a dairy near town. Justin came in to get ready to go and I started getting ready too. I had been at the school and visiting friends earlier in the day. That means I had make up on and "town" clothes. I drug my jeans out of the laundry basket, threw on my hoodie, pulled my hair back and brushed my teeth. Just like that, I was ready to go. See when I go on a date night with my husband I get "un" dolled up. I know what's in store for me. I think he needs me!

As soon as we get in the pickup his phone starts ringing and ringing and ringing. Yesterday, he was arranging an Eagle Scout project for a boy, talking to an employee, negotiating a contract, talking to his Dad about the farm, ordering some corn, talking to an employee and coordinating a meeting.

I have learned to prepare myself for that part of the date. I always bring a good cookbook or magazine along. I have to entertain myself while he is conducting business.

Before we leave, I always ask if I'm going to have to help. Should I pack yucky shoes? Gloves? "Of course not," is what he always says. So I pack some yucky shoes and gloves. And off we go.

I got a job, which I knew I would get! Yesterday I had to stand in a little hole and hold the gates, so the bulls wouldn't get out on their way to the pens. Sometimes I have to direct him while he backs up. Sometimes I have to help load a bull that doesn't look quite right back into the trailer. No matter what, I get a job. Like I said, he needs me!

He checks each bull over one last time just to make sure they are all healthy and ready to be sold. He checks the gates to make sure they are all securely closed. I change my shoes and we are off.

I have learned to take date night when I can get it. If I never went with Justin on a date when I have to hold the gate open, I would never go on a date with him. Honestly, I don't mind one bit! If we are together that is the important part.

So "¦ if your hubby asks you to go on a date to the parts store, or some other manly errand place, just go along! That's his way of saying he needs you. Not just to hold open the gate, to be his friend. He really does want you to come or he wouldn't have asked!

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